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<< Phillies recall P Bastardo
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Phillies recalled pitcher Antonio Bastardo from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Tuesday. The 24-year-old, who is expected to be used as a situational lefty out of the bullpen, has made

<< Woods saw slide coming; wants to play Ryder Cup
Kohler, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tiger Woods met the media on Tuesday in advance of the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, and tried to keep things light. Though he tried to keep the mood light, Woods did admit that he thought he would

<< Kovalchuk decision will have wider impact
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - There has been one NHL story this summer that refuses to go away and a ruling on Monday ensured that the saga will continue. Independent arbitrator Richard Bloch upheld the NHL's decision that the New Jer

<< Nats activate Strasburg
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Washington Nationals have activated rookie sensation Stephen Strasburg off the 15-day disabled list and he will start Tuesday's game against the Florida Marlins. Strasburg had been on the DL

Aging 'El Duque' aims for one more shot in majors >>
VIERA, Fla. (AP) -Orlando Hernandez isn't ready to give up baseball.The four-time World Series champion is now a 44-year-old pitching for the Washington Nationals' affiliate in the Gulf Coast League for rookies. Known as ``El Duque,'' he's now just

D'Antoni OK with Isiah role, Coach K would pass >>
NEW YORK (AP) -Mike D'Antoni sounds OK with it. Mike Krzyzewski wouldn't do it.Isiah Thomas' return to the New York Knicks as a consultant while still coaching a college team has raised plenty of questions - starting with whether it's even legal.D'A

Celtics sign F Harangody >>
BOSTON (AP) -The Boston Celtics have signed Luke Harangody, their second-round draft pick.The deal is for two years. Terms were not disclosed.The 6-foot-8 forward was the 52nd pick in this year's draft.At Notre Dame, Harangody finished as the No. 3

Pa. coach Paterno nominated for Medal of Freedom >>
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -Penn State football coach Joe Paterno has been nominated for the highest civilian award in the country.Congressmen including Glenn Thompson, Mark Critz and Tim Holden say the Hall of Fame coach deserves a Presidential Medal

Betting Football

Is there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?

I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.

Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.

There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.

Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.

For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.

A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.

The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.

Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.

So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.

Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.

“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.

Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.

“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.

It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.

Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.

The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.

“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.

“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”

Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.

The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.

“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”

Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?

“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”

Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.